Dr. Robert W. Odom
In the New Testament, there is a story of Jesus encountering a man who had been disabled for over 38 years. He lived around the pool of Bethesda. Around the pool, many also had disabilities. They were lame, blind, and paralyzed.
When Jesus encounters the man, a discussion ensues, and the man tells his story. When the angel stirs the waters of the pool, the first person to enter the water is healed. He continues his story, saying that when the pool is stirred, there is no one to help him into the water.
At that moment, Jesus asks one of the most critical questions. “Do you want to be healed?” One would think that, given his familiarity with the pool, his knowledge of its features, and the duration of his disability, he would say yes. Instead, he began to make excuses. There is no one to help me. I don’t have the strength to do it myself. Someone beats me to it. All of these are valid answers and truthful ones. But he did not answer the question, “Do you want to be healed?”
Today, we can be asked the same question. Do you want to be healed? I am not sure what you’re experiencing. Is it trauma? Is it addiction? Is it anger? Is it bad decision-making? Is it bad relationships? Whatever it may be, we must address this question. Do you want to be healed? Do you want to get better? Do you want to be whole?
The problem for many of us is that we dislike where we are, but we are reluctant to take steps to heal. This could be for several reasons. We may have been in this space for so long that we make excuses for not moving toward helping. This is just the way I am. It is too hard to change. This is how it will always be. There is no hope for change.
One reason is the fear of what it will look like. We have become so accustomed to whatever issue we have that it begins to form and shape us. It becomes a part of who we are. If we are not careful, the problem can begin to define us. We are drug addicts. We are sex addicts. Our trauma binds us. We are grieving. When we allow the past to define us, we begin to believe that is the way we are, and there is no hope. We do not know what to do with life apart from the difficulty we face.
I do not want to minimize what you are experiencing. Because what you are experiencing is real, and it is painful. It hurts, and hope is a distant concept. For some, this has been a long process. And there appears to be no end to the hurt and pain.
But there is hope. We can change. We can move from being defined by our past to becoming what God has called us to be. It starts with admitting that we need help. We need others to engage in our lives. This is not so they will do for us what we need to do but that they will encourage and support us in our journey.
Early in my journey with Christ, I dealt with anger. I was generally a confident and emotionally stable person. However, I would bury things emotionally. I had developed this emotional response because of my experiences with my family and the abuse I encountered with my stepfather.
During this season of my life, I have a tendency to fly off the handle and express my anger in hurtful ways. I would not lash out physically, but I would undoubtedly express my feelings verbally. Or I would isolate myself and close everyone out. However, I could not continue living my life this way. I began to fear that at some point, I would do something out of anger that I would regret and could not undo.
For years, I justified my anger. I accepted that the anger I had was a part of who I was. In essence, it was defining me. But I began to have a conviction that this was an area of my life that needed healing. So, I began a process of healing, which started with the decision to want to be healed. From there, the rest unfolded.
How about you today? Where do you need healing? Where do you need the transformative power of God’s love to engage you? Where do you need change? It begins by admitting that we need healing. Then, God will do His part, and we will do ours. Remember, the first step to healing is acknowledging the need for it. Once you do, the journey to transformation begins.
Notice Jesus said to take up your bed and walk. What a powerful test of faith. Here is the amazing thing to me. This man who had been paralyzed for 38 years does exactly what Jesus tells him, and he gets up. He walks. This is the power of faith in action, showing us that we can overcome any challenge with belief and determination.
So let me ask you,
- Where do you need healing?
- How has this issue defined you?
- What fears do you have that need to be addressed?
- Who can you share your need with?
- How would your life be different if this were no longer an issue for you?
Life on the edge 